Aperture of My Eye

52 Weeks of Me: Week 14 (Underexposed)

2011-04-03T22:01:00.001-04:00

The "52 Weeks of Me" theme this week is "Underexposed." I had another very busy week so I only was able to snap my photograph a few hours ago while I was on the plane to Madison, Wisconsin. We were waiting to take off, and the plane was so dark on the inside, compared to the bright light coming in through the window. I thought it would be a good opportunity to grab an underexposed shot so I took out my iPhone and clicked away. Check out the Flickr pool to see how everyone else's shots turned out here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 13 (Overexposed)

2011-03-27T23:51:00.000-04:00

I had a very busy weekend down in Washington D.C. with a couple of my high school friends, so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get a shot for the "52 Weeks of Me" project. This week's theme was "overexposed." There was plenty of sunshine on Saturday, so I snapped a pic of myself while we were taking a break in between touring museums. Check out the Flickr pool to see how everyone else's shots turned out here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 12 (Texture)

2011-03-20T22:46:00.000-04:00

This week's theme for the "52 Weeks of Me" project was "texture." Originally, I intended to capture a shot of myself and add some snazzy texture overlays. I just couldn't choose a photo of myself that I actually liked out of the bunch. I decided to go outside to get better lighting. The kids and I were making shadows of the sidewalk with our hands and messing around when I noticed the texture of the sidewalk that was right in front of me! So I used one of our shadow shots to portray this week's texture theme. Check out the Flickr pool to see how everyone else's shots turned out here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 11 (Silhouette)

2011-03-13T23:52:00.003-04:00

"Silhouette" was this week's theme for the "52 Weeks of Me" project. Wow, this was a difficult assignment for me. Ideally, it would have been summertime and I would have been able to go outdoors and take a beautiful silhouette shot on a beach somewhere with the sunset in the background. But since it is still winter and a bit chilly outside, I opted to try to capture a silhouette near one of the windows...from the inside. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the shots I captured, but I picked the one I disliked the least (below). Hopefully next week will be a better week! Check out the Flickr pool to see how everyone else's shots turned out here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 10 (New Angle)

2011-03-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

"New Angle" was this week's theme for the "52 Weeks of Me" project. I experimented with a variety of different angles and finally ended up choosing the shot below. It is amazing to see just how different a shot can be, just by changing the angle of the camera. It was a real eye-opener. And it definitely helped point out the angles of myself I don't like!! Haha. Check out the Flickr pool to see how everyone else's shots turned out here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 9 (Shadow)

2011-02-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

Cara and Jessie's theme for this week was "Shadow." I tried to snap a couple shots outside, but none of them turned out the way I wanted. Then, as I was getting ready for a wine tasting we were going to last night, I spotted a patch of sun coming in from Tyler's window. I only had one shade drawn and the rest of the room was on the darker side. The exposure turned out even better than I thought it would because the area around the patch of light looked more black in the preview than it really was. Check out the others' shots in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 8 (Zero In)

2011-02-20T23:53:00.000-05:00

Cara and Jessie's theme for this week was "Zero in." I had initially thought I was going to take a picture of my feet slightly resting on a scale and focus on the "zero" on the scale. Then I saw the lack of nail polish on my toes and I didn't feel like painting them (again, because I wait until the last minute) so I decided to go with something else. I was holding my lens cap and noticed that the way I was holding it sort of resembled a zero (a stretch, I know). Haha. And then the roundness of the lens cap formed the shap of an "O," in addition to the "o" in Nikon. So in the end, below is the shot I ended up capturing. Check out the others' shots in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 7 (Profile)

2011-02-13T16:55:00.002-05:00

Taking a profile shot of ourselves was Cara and Jessie's "52 Weeks of Me" theme this week. Nothing like waiting until the last minute again! I snapped this shot a couple of hours ago by our dining room window...the only place that had some decent lighting. Check out the others' shots in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 6 (At Arms Length)

2011-02-07T04:44:00.000-05:00

"At Arms Length" was Cara and Jessie's theme this week. I honestly thought it was going to be easier. I kept trying to hold the camera out at different angles, but I was having a hard time keeping my arms steady. I took this shot while visiting family this weekend, and of course I had to bring the heaviest lens to attempt this! Then, when I finally was able to steady the shot, I would check the viewfinder and see that my facial expressions looked weird. I ended up snapping the below shot in my last attempt. It was first thing in the morning...no makeup and hair not done. But it was one of the few with a more natural expression. Did I mention yet that I despise taking pictures of myself? :) Someone tell me why I signed up for this torture! Haha. Check out the others in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 5 (Daily Activities)

2011-01-30T04:06:00.000-05:00

I know, I know....it looks like I cheated a little bit this week, but I have a good excuse! And besides, those 3 fingers are mine so I am technically in the shot. Haha. Anyway, Cara and Jessie picked "Daily Activities" for this week's theme. So here is my excuse. We just went live with a new computer system at my work and I was one of the ~~suckers~~ analysts supporting this Go-Live. The fun began last Friday night and will continue until mid February. I've been working the 7pm-8am shift since last week. Fun, right? Not so much when you're salaried. Anyway, I don't think I have done much of anything this week except monitor a queue, fix issues and try to get a nap in here and there in the off hours. Typing on a laptop has pretty much been my sole daily activity this week so that's the direction I had to go for my shot. Check out the others in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 4 (Focus on Unusual Elements)

2011-01-23T23:53:00.001-05:00

I've got to be honest with ya.....Cara and Jessie picked a tough one for this week's theme: Focus on Unusual Elements. I decided to go about it in a different way. This project is about reflecting on yourself and sharing those things with others in the group. So I decided to share a photo I took of myself this week showing some likes of mine. (I love this shot because I am out of the center of attention and in the background) Hehe! One of the things I love to do (when I have time) is reading. Many who know me can attest to the fact that I usually can be found reading more "reference" type books on Photoshop or other general camera topics. But in the past couple years, I have tried to read different fiction books recommended by others, such as the Twilight and Janet Evanovich series. I really liked them! More recently, it was suggested I check out the "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" series. I am only on the first one, but love it so far! Anyway, I thought to include this book in the picture as an "unusual element" of my usual reading collection. I also had to include my absolute favorite smiley mugs. They aren't your typical coffee mugs since they date back from the 70s. Plus, the fact that I collect smileys is an unusual element in itself! Whew...hope next week is easier! Check out the others in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 3 (Focus on the Eyes)

2011-01-15T21:15:00.003-05:00

Cara and Jessie's theme for the 52 Weeks of Me project this week was "Focus on the Eyes." I just didn't care for any of the pics I took of myself this week so Cara helped me pick one. Thanks, Cara! A friend was teasing me, saying that I don't always have to smile in my pictures for the project. But it is sooooo hard for me!! Everyone who knows me will agree that it is not like me NOT to smile! I'm always smiling. So in the end, here is a picture I came up with while I was trying to just make a "straight" face. But, truth is I think I look a little pissed off or possessed (can't tell which) instead. Oh well...I tried! Check out the others in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 2 (Reflective Surfaces)

2011-01-09T09:06:00.002-05:00

This week's theme for Cara and Jessie's 52 Weeks of Me project was "Reflective Surfaces." I had a little harder time than I would have thought. I looked in regular mirrors, driver-side and rear-view car mirrors, retail shop windows, etc. and didn't like any of the photos I was getting. I didn't spend a lot of time outside this week, so most of the shots I was experimenting with were indoors and I just didn't like the light. Then last night I was resting my head at the dining room table while the kids were coloring. I looked down, saw my reflection in the table and thought, "Last hope of getting a shot!" This is how it turned out below and you can check out the others in the Flickr pool here.

52 Weeks of Me: Week 1 (Traditional Portrait)

2011-01-02T02:43:00.003-05:00

Well, another year has passed and it's time to make some new resolutions. Other than trying to exercise more, here are some of my 2011 goals:

1) Maintain a positive attitude...see the best in people.
2) Try to think of new activities/crafts to try with the kids to spend extra time together
3) Become a better (and faster) Photoshop user.
4) Keep taking photos on a regular basis to continually improve my skills.

I started early on my photography goals by deciding to participate in the 52 Weeks of Me Project started by Cara and Jessie. Now I can't think of anything a loathe more than self-portraits, but I promised Cara I would give it a whirl. If nothing else, I will get a few new Facebook profile pics to use! :) Below is my "Week 1" self portrait shot. This week's theme was "traditional portrait."

I also decided to start a 52 Week project called 52 Weeks of Photoshop Fun. I use Photoshop regularly to edit my photos, but I know I am spending way to much time each one because my Photoshop editing skills are lacking. There are some areas that I have become fairly good at using, but there are so many existing tools that I have spotted and have never even attempted to use. I'm going to try to choose a Photoshop tool/function each week and edit one of my weekly shots using that tool. Then I will post a before and after to demonstrate. Who knows how good the edit shots will turn out, but I'm hoping this project will help me become an overall better Photoshop user. Feel free to join the group, even if you don't want to commit to posting weekly. It would be great to see other before and after example shots to see the tools in action! For the theme for Week 1, I decided to choose Photoshop's "liquify" tool. After all, it's the New Year and many people will once again attain to be more healthy. Well until those pounds can be shed, I thought it was appropriate to give this tool a whirl since many people refer to it as the "digital diet." :)

Happy 3rd Birthday, Tyler!

2010-12-22T23:48:00.003-05:00

My baby is not a baby anymore - Tyler turned 3 today! We decided to go out to dinner and let Tyler choose where he wanted to go. We had our fingers crossed that it wasn't going to be McDonalds or Chuck E. Cheese. He ended up picking Famous Dave's BBQ, which we thought was a bit odd, but then we took one look at Emily who was smiling and realized where the idea came from. After all, they do serve Kraft Mac-n-Cheese, Fries and Oreo cookies as a Kid's Meal - what's not to love, right? Anyway, we had a great time and Tyler opened his birthday presents. His favorite was Alphie. I can't believe they brought that toy back. I remember that when I was a little girl!

Some of Tyler's traits and "favorites" right now...

Color - Yellow
Movies - Toy Story, Nemo and The Little Mermaid
Cartoon Characters - Spongebob and Mickey Mouse
Foods - Clementines, Blueberries, French Fries
Drink - Chocolate and "Pink" Milk
Frequent Saying - "Nuh Uh" or "Yeah Huh"
Tyler walks in Emily's shadow and mimics her constantly.....good and bad actions! :)
He loves boots. He was constantly wearing his rain boots and Emily's boots around the house so we recently bought him a pair of light-up Toy Story cowboy boots. He loves them!
He is a night owl like me. Emily is always the first to fall asleep between the two of them.
Tyler is sooooo independent! This is probably another trait he picked up from Emily. Whenever someone tries to help him, he responds "no, I do it!"
He is such a sensitive little man, and whenever you show that you are upset by something he did, he runs over and gives you a kiss and a hug and says, "I sorry, mommy." He also randomly comes over and gives me a squeeze and says, "I miss you, I love you."

Team-Up Thursday: Fresh

2010-05-27T08:53:00.003-04:00

Jody chose this week's theme of "fresh" and loved the natural light and "softness" of her shot of the peonies. I, on the other hand, went a different route because I just had to include the shot I captured of my daughter as the flower girl and the ring bearer being "fresh" to me at a recent wedding. They were standing there looking all innocent and I asked them to smile at the count of three. Just after I said "three" this is what I got! Take note of the lollipop and candy necklace. They had a candy station at the wedding for the little kids and the "kids at heart" so many of them, including these two, were on a sugar high. :)

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: White

2010-05-20T07:50:00.000-04:00

We decided to capture the color white this week for our theme. White makes me think of weddings, so I chose a closeup shot of one of my brides' gowns for this week. I really like how it coordinates with Jody's image, which is also white on a black background. The chandelier makes me think of an elegant event, complimenting the wedding dress and the doves can also be linked to wedding ceremonies.

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: Shapes

2010-05-06T00:05:00.004-04:00

This week Jody and I chose "shapes" as our theme. I love the colors in Jodi's shot! The earthtone bokeh background really contrasts the wind chime. I chose the flower bouquet that I captured at a recent birthday party I shot because it incorporated so many shapes: flower-shaped pineapples, circular melon balls, heart-shaped strawberries...the list goes on!

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: Texture

2010-04-22T09:36:00.005-04:00

Jody and I had a very busy week and only decided on our theme of "texture" yesterday. Luckily, I'm a seasoned procrastinator and work well under pressure. :) We figured that since texture is everywhere it wouldn't be hard to grab a shot around the house last night. I love the way our shots fit together this week. There are obvious differences, like how Jody's shot portrays more of a "hard" texture and has several items in the shot compared to the "softness" of the blanket and my shot focuses more on a single shape on the blanket. I chose to convert my shot to grayscale (except for the heart which I left pink) and I loved how it coordinated with the rocks: most of them were gray, but a few have slightly pink tones. Even one of the rocks in the pic (toward the left-center) seems to have a heart-shape to it, but that may just be my imagination!

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: Pattern

2010-04-15T00:01:00.002-04:00

Our theme for this week's Team Thursday was "pattern." I love the patterns Jody chose to shoot: very funky! I like the contrast between the black and white and color patterns. I chose to shoot a repeating pattern that was lined up by my daughter, Emily. They focused on this in class a couple months ago and ever since she points out repeating patterns wherever we go!

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Best Shot Monday: Heart-shaped Leaves

2010-04-12T09:17:00.004-04:00

I decided to join Cara in signing up for Tracey Clark's Picture Spring class. The class started when while I was down in Disney vacationing, so it was challenging to get all of the shots and post them. But the nice thing about the class is that there is no pressure to capture each and every daily theme. So far it has been a wonderful experience. I love being given the different themes so you can explore your creativity behind the lens on a daily basis. The shot below was taken over the weekend when we were asked to capture a heart shaped theme. My husband thought I was crazy when I saw these leaves and stopped in the middle of mowing the grass to run into the house. When I came out with my camera he said, "You're bloody ridiculous!" Some people just don't understand! :)

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Tracey's Blog

Team-Up Thursday: Simple

2010-04-08T12:54:00.001-04:00

This week Jody and I decided to pick the theme of "Simple" and it was anything but that for both of us! Everywhere I looked I saw complex signs, architecture, patterns, designs, etc. I tried to look around for a daisy since I think of those as a simple flower, but all I ran into were orchids...definitely not simple in my mind. Finally, yesterday when I picked up the kids, Emily asked me if we could have pancakes for dinner. I had so many things to do so I didn't feel like taking the time to make them from scratch. So I opened the cabinet and took out my backup stash of "just add water" pancake mix. What could be more simple than that! Jody said she had a hard time finding something "simple" as well so she used this sign she shot while vacationing. Too bad it isn't easy to portray "simple" people in a photograph because I could have taken plenty of those! Haha!

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: Vacation

2010-04-01T07:58:00.002-04:00

Jody and I decided to pick the theme of "Vacation" since she just got back from a spring break getaway and I'm down here at Disney right now. I love the little drink umbrella sticking out of the bacon in Jody's shot. She said her daughter did it one morning on their vacation at the breakfast table. I wanted a general shot to represent Disney so I decided to use the shot I captured of the Mickey balloons at the park's entrance. I love the reflection of people in all of the balloons. Wow, is it crowded here! The bus driver told us that they had to stop letting people into Magic Kingdom around 2:30PM for the past 2 days for a little while until some people left because the park was at it's maximum capacity. I think I was the only one who didn't mind the crowd. But after all, I am a devout Black Friday shopper!

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: Happy

2010-03-25T03:48:00.001-04:00

I didn't have a lot of time this week to capture this week's theme since we only decided on it yesterday. Luckily, I had something in mind right away. I have always been an extremely happy person and all of my friends know it takes a heck of a lot to get me angry. When I was younger, I was one of those kids in school where everyone asked, "Are you OK?" if I looked remotely serious because it was so out-of-the-norm for me not to be laughing or smiling. Everyone thought it was appropriate that I had a smiley face collection because it matched my demeanor and they would always think of me when they saw one on their travels. Therefore, I thought I'd break out one of my mugs from the collection for this week's "happy" shot since it has always made me smile.

I love the vibrant colors in Jody's shot this week. My shot was initially bold, but I chose to tone down the colors and go for more of a "muted" look this week. Even though our shots are very different, it made me laugh that once again we angled our shots in the same direction; both slightly to the left.

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Team-Up Thursday: Close-Up

2010-03-18T01:28:00.005-04:00

Jody and I decided to go with the group theme this week: Close-Up. I must admit - I thought it was going to be really easy to capture a close-up shot, but it ended up being a bit of a challenge. Originally, I was thinking of taking a close-up of something with a lot of detail or texture. I took a few shots, but they were all indoor so I wasn't happy with the outcome. Since the weather has been so beautiful lately, I decided to pop on my macro lens and go outdoors to try to capture the beginning of Spring. You'd think with the warmer weather the past few days I'd find a blossom of something. I searched a couple nearby parks, but everything was still pretty lifeless. I couldn't even find a tulip breaking through the ground. Anyway, I did find some nice color in this little bush I found. I have no idea what type of plant it is (my plant/flower loving mom would be ashamed). But hey, cut me some slack...I'm a photographer, not a gardener! Haha

It looks like Jody and I were on the same wavelength this week because she also chose to step out into nature to snag her beautiful flower shot. I like how both of our photos are angled in the same direction again this week and are in the same color family (pink/red). By the very direct lighting, it looks like Jody's shot was taken more midday, whereas my shot was captured towards the evening.

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Best Shot Monday: Getting Ready for Softball

2010-03-15T21:38:00.004-04:00

Since the weather has been warming up a bit, we decided to play a little "catch" with Emily to warm up for her upcoming softball league. She is catching the ball so much better than last year, and you can tell by her expression in the photos that she is thrilled with her performance too!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Tracey's Blog

Team-Up Thursday: Sign

2010-03-11T00:02:00.004-05:00

I had to laugh when I received Jody's picture this week because we had the same idea. Our theme this week was "sign." I tried to get Emily to sign "I Love You" and Tyler to sign "Peace." Easy task, right? Yeah, not so much - Haha! Emily did her part perfectly, but it was impossible to get both of their hands signing in the same shot. Tyler would wave his hand around, signing "Peace" for what seemed like an eternity. But, never fail...just as I would pick up the camera to get the shot, he's stop completely!! So I just thought it was funny how we both tried to think a little outside the box with our theme. Jody nailed a beautiful shot in her attempt. Who doesn't adore close-ups of little hands?

Since the signing didn't pan out, I decided to seek inspiration once again throughout the streets of Philadelphia while walking to the train home. After looking at hundreds on street signs, traffic signs and retail store signs, I decided to snap a shot of the Hard Rock Cafe sign. I just love how the musical-themed restaurant has a guitar-shaped sign - clever! I also decided to kick it up a notch by putting a cool preset on the photo while editing in Lightroom.

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Best Shot Monday: Gaze

2010-03-08T23:45:00.002-05:00

Finally a beautiful and rather "warm-ish" weekend. Everyone else in my family shed their coats and just had sweatshirts on while we were at the park, but I still had to wear my peacoat. I'm always cold! All of the snow we received a couple weeks ago is just about gone and the ground is a muddy mess. Emily and Tyler had a blast running around the baseball field at the park, watching their feet slowly sink in the ground. Emily pretended it was quicksand. The grass wasn't quite as muddy, so we practiced hitting and fielding a little with Emily since she signed up for a proper softball team that starts the end of April. By "proper" I mean that they don't use a Tee anymore to bat; the coach pitches to the girls. And I thought last year's games were long...haha! We'll see how it goes. Tyler was running around the park randomly as we were playing, picking up a ball here and there or kicking the soccer ball. I managed to capture a shot when a group of puppies across the field caught his attention enough to stop him in his tracks.

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Tracey's Blog

100th Day Celebration

2010-03-05T15:18:00.014-05:00

After being cancelled twice due to all of the snow we recently got, Emily finally had her "100th day" celebration at school. I had never heard of such a celebration, but I didn't ask and just went with the flow. Emily had to decorate a T-Shirt with 100 objects to represent the 100 school days they've had so far. I thought it was a crazy regional thing, but I've read other blogs that talked about it as well so I guess it's done all over - who knew? Anyway, my mom came down to visit last month so I gave this task to her so she could have a little creative bonding time with Emily. Below is a picture of what they ended up with after all the gluing, sewing, etc.

The shirt isn't the only highlight of this picture, though. Notice the little "tuft" of hair in the middle of Emily's hairline. No, that's not extra-long "baby hair"; that's the result of Emily taking a pair of scissors at her after-school program and cutting her hair. I asked her, "Why on earth would you cut your hair, Emily?" She answered, perfectly calmly, "Because it keeps going in my face." Logical, right? I could have strangled her! Now she keeps complaining that "it looks weird when I wear a headband" and "the kids are going to laugh at me." I just keep nicely reminding her that she is the one who cut it. I'm going to call the hairdresser to see what can be done, but I'm sure we'll end up having to get bangs cut all around (or "fringe" as my British hubby calls it). She's never had bangs before, so who knows how it will turn out. To make things worse, Emily is the flower girl in a wedding coming up May 1st. There's never a dull moment...

Team-Up Thursday: Walk

2010-03-04T00:01:00.019-05:00

I'm finally participating in my first Team-Up Thursday after Megan paired me up with Jody out in Iowa. It's been fun getting to know her a little and I look forward to all of our posts together.

I had a hard time with this week's suggested "walk" theme. I originally intended of thinking of a new theme until I got an email from Jody, telling me that her little girl just started walking. How perfect of a theme is that for capturing those little baby feet! You can't deny capturing moments like that.

Anyway, I ventured out into the streets of downtown Philadelphia after work, trying to capture some feet/legs in motion. For some reason I pictured the Beatles walking across Abbey Road when I thought of this theme. I tried to snap several shots of people walking across the crosswalk, but either their strides were off, there were annoying background distractions or...this sounds so silly...they had unappealing shoes. Haha! So, although I didn't get my Abbey Road shot, I managed to take an angled shot of some lady in mid-stride with some cool boots! Jody's picture is just precious and I thought it was neat how both of our pictures were "walking" in the same direction. They paired together well!

Check out Megan and Melody to see more Theme Thursday shots.

Best Shot Monday: Bounce Party

2010-03-01T22:54:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we went to a birthday party at "Bounce U" in Allentown. Emily was a little cautious a couple years ago when she went to her first party at one of these places. She was probably around 2 or 3 years old and the slides were HUGE in comparison to the slides at the park. It took us until almost the end of the party to get her to try to go down one.
Tyler on the other hand, has always been fearless. He went to his first bounce party last year right after he turned 1. He was still too young to go on the big slides by himself, but he just loved going down them with my husband. He turned 2 this past December and was more than ready to try the big slides this past weekend - SOLO. Before I could catch him, he was already climbing up the little square steps leading up to the huge slide. I was a little nervous at first but then thought, What's the worst thing that could happen? He could fall back off the steps and land on the big puffy pillow-like base at the bottom. Everything is padded at this place! He struggled to get up at first with his tiny little legs, but made it to the top and flew down the slide sideways - laughing! Emily just stared at him coming down, astonished! One of the slides required them to come down in a potato sack, so Emily would help Tyler since he couldn't manage climbing up and holding the sack at the same time. As you can see below, they had a blast!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Tracey's Blog

Wordless Wednesday: Flower

2010-02-24T23:37:00.011-05:00

...Hoping this post will ward away the upcoming snow (yes, ANOTHER storm) and bring on Spring!!

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Best Shot Monday: Tyler's New Favorite Shirt

2010-02-22T13:55:00.004-05:00

This is the T-shirt that was recently sent to Tyler from relatives across the pond in England. Thanks Nanny Ros and Tony! They were visiting Austrailia over Christmas and brought back funny T-shirts for the kids. You can't see it in the picture, but the kangaroo's pouch flips up to reveal a baby kangaroo underneath. Tyler just loves it, and between he and Emily it is constantly being flipped up and down. Emily also received a shirt and loves it, but I didn't get to take a picture because she wouldn't stand still for 2 seconds!!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Tracey's Blog

Wordless Wednesday: Icicle

2010-02-17T23:28:00.008-05:00

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Best Shot Monday: Every Day

2010-02-15T22:54:00.002-05:00

After two HUGE snowfalls in the same week, things have gotten a little crazy in our household after being cooped up inside. The picture below is an example of the things my kids do every day to make us laugh. Tyler dressed up in Emily's play clothes and pranced around the house. This will be a great photo to add to the slideshow when he gets married...complete with heels and a furry purse - HaHa!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Happy 5th Birthday, Emily!

2009-09-23T20:52:00.009-04:00

My sweet Emily... I can't believe you turned 5 today! I love your sweet smile and enthusiasm. Your energy and passion are limitless, sometimes getting you into trouble! This year you started Kindergarten and have to wear an adorable little uniform. This is your 3rd year of soccer and you scored a goal in your 1st game of the season! Your favorite color is still pink (of course), and your favorite singer at the moment is Taylor Swift. You get excited every time you hear her songs come on the radio and sing along in a VERY loud voice. Speaking of... you still haven't learned to control your volume yet, and your voice gets louder and louder as your excitement builds when telling a story. We've suffered many headaches, but wouldn't trade you for the world! You are also a wonderful big sister to Tyler. You are so loving and caring to him - he simply adores you! Keep making us smile with all of your funny dance moves and unexpected comments. Happy 5th Birthday, Emily! I love you with all of my heart.

Best Shot Monday: 1st T-Ball Game

2009-05-04T10:05:00.006-04:00

This past weekend I finally didn't have to work and was able to enjoy some quality time with my family. We had been working nonstop supporting our "Go-Live" at work since the week after Easter. It was getting at little old (to say the least) and I was thrilled to go back to working more normal daytime hours today.

Despite the rain we've had all weekend, Emily still had her first T-Ball game on Saturday. She was so excited to go, but got a little nervous meeting her teammates since she didn't know any of them. They practiced a little before the game and it was so funny to watch the interaction between all of the kids. Everyone wanted to bat, but no one wanted to field the balls. I dreaded the thought of how long the game was going to last, but luckily there was an unspoken rule I didn't know about that each kid got one turn at bat before switching sides - Whew! I managed to capture a shot before the rain became to heavy.

Emily was beside herself on Saturday evening when she learned to tie her shoes by herself for the very first time. She pushed the loop through and her eyes just lit up with excitement when she realized that she finally did it! The first words out of her mouth were, "Mom, can you get the camera so I can tie my shoes for you?" She's so my kid! Every since I showed her I can shoot video clips with my new D90, she wants perform for me (even more than before). Then she'll sit there and play the clips of herself over and over again, laughing hysterically. I've included a clip on here after the T-ball pic, per Emily's request! :)

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Best Shot Monday: English Football

2009-04-27T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here is a shot of my first experience watching a live English football match while visiting last month. What a day! It was a bit chilly outside, but the sun was shining ever so brightly at the beginning of the game. But following the rules of typical British weather, the weather changed just like that halfway through the game when the ominous clouds started to roll in across the sky. Just then, the sky opened and the heavy downpour of rain began, soaking us in a matter of minutes. Just when I thought there could be nothing worse than sitting there in the cold wet rain, it started sleeting. This lasted for almost a half hour or so and after the game we had to walk to the car (which was about 2 miles away by the way) feeling as though we had peed our pants. Lovely! It was definitely a game I will not forget anytime soon!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Recipe Friday: Taffy Apple Pizza

2009-04-17T09:38:00.006-04:00

I tried this recipe years ago at a Pampered Chef party and really liked it. I hadn't made it for such a long time, so I decided to make it over the weekend. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 package (18oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 medium Granny Smith apples
1/4 C caramel ice cream topping
1/2 C peanuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of Large Round Stone; flatten slightly. Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough to a 14-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 16-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone using a serrated bread knife; cool completely on baking stone.
Peel, core and slice apples into roughly 1/8 inch slices. Arrange the slices evenly over the cream cheese mixture.
Microwave ice cream topping on high for 30-45 seconds or until warm; drizzle evenly over apples. Sprinkle chopped peanuts over the apples. Cut into wedges.

Wordless Wednesday: Endless Trees

2009-04-15T15:20:00.003-04:00

Here is a shot of a tree-lined footpath near Buckingham Palace that I captured while visiting England. More photos to come...PROMISE!

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Best Shot(s) Monday: Dandelion

2009-04-13T20:50:00.003-04:00

Yes, I'm still alive! We came back from England in the beginning of the month and we've been running around nonstop since - like always! I know I've been slacking posting to the blog. Cara over at I Miei Due Bambini even called me out last week on her blog and I got another reminder today that I haven't posted anything so I made sure to get at least these two pics uploaded tonight to share with you. I have plenty of pics stacking up. I just need to find the time to transfer them to the computer and write about them.

These pictures were taken when Emily and I went to the park the other week. It was such a mild day and we had a wonderful time. She met a little girl and they kept running off playing "detective," looking for the prettiest flowers and other little treasures at the park. She kept bringing dandelions back to me, so I decided to snap a couple shots of them. She saw the pictures and said, "Oh they're so beautiful and sunshiny!" Tyler didn't make it to the park with us that day since he decided that taking a nap was more important. Maybe next time! Tyler is going to be 16 months already next week. He now has a total of 10 teeth; the top and bottom front four and his upper first molars, which came in at 14 months. Well anyway, enjoy the shots below and hopefully I'll be posting sooner than the last time.

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Wordless Wednesday: Resting after a Long Day

2009-03-18T10:50:00.004-04:00

Leaving for England tonight to meet Stu and the kids. Hopefully Tyler will be this rested and calm when I get there, but I doubt it! :)

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Theme Thursday: Laughter

2009-03-05T10:48:00.008-05:00

I know I know.....it has been ages since my last post. Well it seems that way, anyway. We have just been so busy around the house and running here and there that I haven't had much time to do anything. And to top it off, I have this big project at work that "Goes Live" on the weekend of April 17th. Let me tell you - I CAN NOT wait until that is over. Just ask my dear friend and co-worker Cara over at I Miei Due Bambini. She is definitely feeling the heat as well. We have been teasing her recently that she has been "edgey" around the office. We love ya, Cara! :)

But I do have something to look forward to until then. My family is going across the pond for our annual England trip to visit Stu's family. This will be Emily's 4th time going and Tyler's 2nd already. Not bad for only being a 4 year old and 15 month old. World travelers already. I think Tyler had his passport picture taken at only 1 month old. Unfortunately, I'm not able to vacation as long as the rest of the family, due to work constraints. My husband leaves next week with the kids, and I will follow them on a plane with my mom the following week. He's brave to take both kids on the plane, handle luggage and rent a car by himself, but he is so good with them I have no worries. It seems like everyone else around me is more concerned. :) I'll have to blog later on in the month about how that goes.

Well, I regret to admit that I haven't taken any photos recently in all this mayhem so I have to post a photo I took a couple months ago of the kids. The two of them adore each other and are always ringing the halls with laughter when they play together. On this day in particular, though I remember them laughing non-stop for the longest time. We walked into the room where they were playing and both of them had tears of laughter coming from their eyes. It was a precious moment so I thought I'd share a picture of that day for this week's theme.

Go visit The Land of K. A. for more themed photos.

Best Shot(s) Monday: The Zoo

2009-02-16T23:17:00.005-05:00

We finally had a break in the cold weather the other weekend, so we decided to take a trip to the zoo. Many of the warmer weather animals weren't in their cages yet, but we still had a great time just being able to walk around outside without freezing.

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Recipe Friday: Black Bottom Cupcakes

2009-02-13T01:14:00.003-05:00

This recipe was passed down by my mother years ago to add to my recipe box. I've never taken these to a party or event where they weren't a huge hit. But beware, they're addicting! I must have made these well over a dozen times, and do you think I snapped a picture of the final product - No! Therefore, I had to google the image you see below to include in the post. I don't know if you're like me, but I am always more willing to try a recipe if it looks tempting in a picture. I'd like to add a couple tips for this recipe from experience. Bake these the day before you want to eat them or take them to an event. Although they're tasty the first day, for some reason they are so much better the next day. I store them in a sealed container on the counter, but I know a couple of people who have refrigerated them overnight. If you choosse to store them in the fridge overnight, allow plenty of time to return to room temperature, because again, for some reason they taste better like that than chilled. One last tip... don't overbake them. Just like cheesecakes, if you bake them too long they turn a very unattractive yellowish color and the cake obviously tastes less moist. I just stick a toothpick in the cake part and as soon as I can pull it out without any batter sticking to it, they're finished! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Cake Batter
3 C Flour
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Dry Cocoa
2 tsp. Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 C Water
2/3 C Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp. White Vinegar

** Mix the ingredients of the cake batter together. Then mix the filling
ingredients together in a separate bowl

Filling
1 8oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 C Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 10oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat the cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt until creamy.

Stir in the chocolate chips.
Fill the cupcake papers half-full with batter and place 1 Tbsp. filling in the center of each.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes. **Do not overbake

*** Recipe yields about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cupcakes.

Wordless Wednesday: All Played Out

2009-02-11T11:16:00.004-05:00

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Getting So Big

2009-02-10T20:50:00.005-05:00

I sit back and look at Emily and Tyler and wonder where the time has gone?

Tyler turned a year already back in December, and he is getting so big! He was such a little peanut for the longest time, but his appetite seemed to double ever since he got off the baby food and stared tasting "real" food. Looking at him, you would never think he could eat so much. Just tonight, he was sitting in the kitchen next to me while I was cooking and started having a mini meltdown because it was taking so long. I sat him in his chair and he ate 2 whole clementines as a pre-dinner snack! After that, he polished off a healthy portion of tortellini and had vanilla pudding that Stu whipped up for dessert. He has really been trying to use a spoon/fork to feed himself for the last month or so.

He is also much more steady on his feet now and is getting into absolutely everything! He still really only says mama and dada occasionally, which is so unlike Emily at this age. Even if Emily couldn't say actual words, she would be jabbering in her own little language. Emily was always a little chatterbox and still is to this day (like her mommy, I've been told). :) Tyler is definitely much more quiet as far as speech, but I am beginning to see he understands a lot more than we give him credit. I had been showing him this video where it repeats basic words over and over and has children point to various body parts, etc. as the word comes on the screen. Tyler doesn't pay attention half the time and is only interested in watching Emily. I play the video anyway, and the other week we were amazed to see that he must have actually been paying attention. As the words came on the TV and were spoken, Tyler pointed to his nose, mouth, closed his eyes, waved, and put his arms up, as instructed by the voice on the TV. We couldn't believe it - it was out of nowhere!

Emily is also growing up so quickly before our eyes. She turned 4 back in late September and acts some days like she'll be turning 14 this September. She still has her whiny bouts at times, but it definitely has improved 100% over the past year or so. She is such a good helper around the house; always has been really. She gets up in the morning, dresses herself, and comes to me afterward to tie her shoes and sometimes help her with a button that is giving her a problem. If we have extra time in the morning, she even sometimes goes in and makes her bed, lining up all her stuffed animals without even being asked. She is also a wonderful big sister to Tyler. They just adore each other. He follows her everywhere, and she tolerates him climbing on her, pulling her hair and knocking off all of the books on her shelf after she just put them away.

Her favorite thing to do at the moment is play board games. She wants to play them every second we have from bath time to bedtime each night. Stu usually end up playing with her while I settle Tyler down for bed. Her favorite game at the moment, which is driving us crazy by the way, is Candyland - Dora edition. Like watching Dora on TV isn't enough! Stu and I still blame that show for the cause of Emily speaking so loudy ALL of the time. Those of you who are forced to watch this show as well know what I mean. She never talks quietly - she shouts everything! Emily just never learned the concept of "Use your indoor voice" no matter how hard we try." And the more excited she gets to tell us something, the louder she gets! Below are a couple recent pics of the gang. Enjoy!

Recipe Friday: Bacon and Tomato Cups

2009-02-06T02:47:00.012-05:00

Several years ago, I found this recipe on AllRecipes when I was looking for something to make as an appetizer for a family get-together. Everyone loved them so much, but be careful about making these for family. Ever since that day, I have been summoned to make these at almost every gathering now. Luckily they're easy to make! After making this recipe so many times, I've modified the ingredients slightly to preference and have included my recipe version below. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound bacon
1 small tomato, chopped
1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried or fresh basil
1 can Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuit dough (I use the flaky layers kind)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a mini
muffin pan with shortening or nonstick cooking spray.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until evenly brown. Drain
on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl, and mix with
tomato, onion, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.

Separate each biscuit into 4 equal quarters. Roll each quarter into a
ball and use a lightly floured tart shaper (or fingers) to form the dough
into little cups in a mini muffin pan. (I keep a little bowl of flour nearby
to dip the shaper in each time before shaping so it doesn't stick to the
dough) Then fill each biscuit cup with the bacon mixture.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven , or until golden brown.

*** I usually double the recipe and it yields about 5 dozen bacon cups.

Theme Thursday: Cold

2009-02-04T11:00:00.003-05:00

The pictures for this week's theme were taken yesterday morning after our first "real" snowfall of the season in our area. Although I think snow looks beautiful, I am definitely not a fan of the cold. I am ALWAYS cold, it seems. I have a portable heater running at my office desk all year long. In the winter it is cold for obvious reasons. In the summer, it feels just as cold as the winter since they crank the air conditioning so much. I remember being a kid and absolutely loving the snow. Everything about snow was great - you could build snowmen, make angels and if enough fell overnight, school would be canceled so you could enjoy it even more! But now the only "fun" I have in the snow is shoveling it. Luckily my wonderful hubby does that almost all of the time for me! If the snow could fall in about 50 or 60 degree weather, I'd be fine! :) But since that will never be the case, I'm still looking forward to Spring.

Go visit The Land of K. A. for more themed photos.

Recipe Friday: Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2009-01-30T00:17:00.005-05:00

My husband isn't the biggest lover of fish dishes, except of course authentic fish and chips (what can I say, he's British). So he wasn't too excited when I told him that I was going to try a new fish recipe that I found on Allrecipes.

It received such high reviews from over 3,000 people so I thought,"How bad can it be?" Needless to say, it was a hit! My husband said he loved it, and even asked me to make it again for him so I know he wasn't bluffing! And he's quite the poker player so sometimes it's hard to tell by his expressions. Anyway, here is the recipe. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions:

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Theme Thursday: Project

2009-01-29T12:17:00.006-05:00

I just had to share this project for Stacy's Theme Thursday...although I cannot take credit for any of it! I had been mentioning for the longest time that I would love a scrapbooking room so I can have a central place to store all of my supplies and have them accessible so I'll be able to scrap more often.

My husband took on the task a few months before Christmas. The room initially had an archway instead of an actual door that it looked like the previous owners had never finished. The wall leading up to the archway wasn't even a true sturdy wall like all of the other rooms in the house. They had a games cabinet that they built and the back of the cabinet was the wall. Stu knocked down all of this and started from scratch.

Once he built the frame for the door and hung the drywall, he locked the door and I wasn't able to see any of the progress on the inside. He didn't let me pick out any of the colors, furniture, decor.....nothing! I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive the whole time this was going on. I mean, how in the world does he know what furniture/accessories I need in a scrapbooking room! I noticed him peeking through some of my scrapbooking magazine and the Michael's ad in the Sunday paper every once in awhile.

It was getting closer to Christmas and I kept asking him when he thought the room might be finished. He was working on it as much as possible, in between work, part-time school, and helping out with the kids. He told me it should be finished by the end of January.

Then came the surprise. We were opening our gifts on Christmas Eve and I unwrapped what looked like a jewelry box. When I opened the box, there was a velvet pouch inside, and inside the pouch was a smaller wrapped gift. That gift turned out to be a key. I looked puzzled, and he finally told me it was a key to my scrapbooking room upstairs. I was thrilled!! It was totally unexpected because I wasn't expected it until late January. I immediately ran up the stairs and the door to the room was wrapped like a big present, complete with bow. I was speechless. He even built a little area (complete with pink chair) for our daughter Emily to craft with me. He also went to the computer where I store all of our pictures, and picked out and printed his favorites of the kids to hang in the frames he bought. What a wonderful hubby I have! So, although I didn't actually complete this project myself, I still wanted to share it with all of you so you could see the before and after shots. Enjoy!

Before

After

Best Shot Monday: Dolly

2009-01-19T23:03:00.007-05:00

I snapped this picture of my friend's daughter over the weekend at a surprise birthday party. I just loved her adorable curly hair and the expressions she was making as she was interacting with the little dolly. She was too cute!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Wordless Wednesday: Bathtime

2009-01-14T22:11:00.004-05:00

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Best Shot Monday: E-A-G-L-E-S

2009-01-12T23:21:00.006-05:00

These were taken over the weekend when The Philadelphia Eagles beat the NY Giants in their playoff game. I really liked how the 1st picture turned out of Tyler, but I had to include the second one as well of him watching TV. He seemed to be really involved watching the game for a little while so I wanted to snap a quick shot. It was only later when I was reviewing the pictures that I noticed that McNabb (who is on his jersey) was actually on the TV screen while I was taking the shot.

Oh, I also wanted to mention that we just noticed over the weekend that Tyler's 7th tooth is staring to come in: the bottom right tooth next to the middle. Our little man is getting so big!

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Wordless Wednesday: Cupcake

2009-01-07T23:44:00.003-05:00

It was all fun and games until.......

Emily decided to taste Tyler's cupcake!

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Happy 1st Birthday, Tyler!

2008-12-30T23:16:00.009-05:00

I can't believe my little guy turned one last week already - where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday when we were bringing him home from the hospital. Over the past year he has brought such joy into our lives. His laughs, his kisses and all of the random expressions he makes just warms our hearts. But nothing compares to his smiles and expressions he makes when he is around our daughter, Emily. He adores her and you can tell the feeling is mutual when you see how she interacts with Tyler. She goes out of her way to bring toys to him, give him hug and kisses and help him practice walking. We love you, Tyler!

Some of the milestones Ty accomplished over the past year:
First smile – 6 Weeks
Rolling Belly to Back – 3 Months
Rolling Both Ways – 4 Months
First Food: Cereal – 4 Months
1st Tooth (bottom right) – 6 Months
Sitting – 6 Months
2nd Tooth (bottom left) – 7 Months
Crawling – 7 Months
Pulling Himself Up – 7 Months
First Word: Mama – 8 Months
3rd & 4th Teeth (front teeth) – 9 Months
5th & 6th Teeth (upper later incisors) – 10 Months
First Steps – 11 Months

Theme Thursday: Favorite Holiday Memories

2008-12-18T23:30:00.009-05:00

I've had so many wonderful Christmas memories over the years. I just love this time of year! But out of all of them, I'd have to say that last year was one of the most memorable because Tyler was born just before Christmas, on the 22nd. I ended up having a C-section in the late afternoon so they were pretty set on only releasing me from the hospital on Christmas day sometime after lunch. I was determined to get home before Christmas so I started walking around my room and sat up in th chair a couple hours after surgery. I even would make trips out into the hall to get som ice (mostly to show them I was doing well). After much hesitation, the doctor finally agreed that I could go home the morning of Christmas Eve. He was probably just sick of me asking all of the time. After all, Emily had been geared up for Christmas and Santa for months. I had to make it home to share that with her and see the look on her face Christmas morning when she saw all of the presents under the tree.

As soon as I got settled in my room after the C-Section, we called my mom to tell her the news. Emily, who was 3 at the time, was spending the night up with my mom. My mom told her that she had a new baby brother and I heard her start to cry. I was afraid of that happening since for the past nine months Emily had been ademate that she was going to have a little sister. I would say, "But Emily, we could be having a little boy baby." She'd get a bit huffy and say, "No. It's a girl." Then I would ask her why she thought it was definitely a girl and she would say, "Because I want a baby sister...so we match." We actually only picked out Tyler's name on the way to the hospital. I had been hearing Emily talk about having a girl so often that I think Stu and I were also convinced that it was going to be a girl. Well anyway, Emily came to visit her baby brother the next day and you could see her eyes light up from the moment she saw him. She just kept staring at him and would let out little giggles, saying "He's so tiny!" You can tell from the pictures below how much she loves her new baby brother, Tyler.

Go visit The Land of K. A. for more togetherness shots

Wordless Wednesday...Almost

2008-12-17T19:06:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple pics of Tyler blowing kisses and hanging out in front of the tree.

See more pics over at Wordless Wednesday here and here

Best Shot Monday: Christmas Tree

2008-12-15T00:05:00.014-05:00

For this week's Best Shot Monday, I decided to share a couple of pictures I took of some Christmas trees. I really enjoyed Momology's bokeh shots the other day so I decided to take my camera out and take a couple of shots myself.

The first picture is of our Christmas tree. It's alright, but I don't think I like the bokeh effect on the white lights as much as colored lights. The remaining pics I shot over the weekend of my parent's Christmas tree while I was visiting. The first ones I was going for the bokeh effect again, but the last one was my favorite. After my hectic morning this past Friday, I decided to put the kids to bed that night and unwind by messing around with my camera settings, taking a couple of Christmas tree shots and playing in Photoshop to design our 2008 Christmas card.

For more Best Shot Monday pics, visit Mother May I

Christmas Card 2008...Finally!

2008-12-14T23:02:00.010-05:00

Boy, I am really running behind this year! I managed to take a photo of the kids a couple weeks ago and only got around to making the card this weekend. I started browsing Snapfish, Shutterfly, etc. to try to find the photo card I liked best. Then I thought about how much I liked Stacy's card and got to thinking that I should make my own template. I have a collection of backgrounds, fonts, you name it that I've collected over the years to make different projects. Anyway, here is the final product for this year's Christmas card. I have also saved a blank template in .psd format so you can add your own picture and text. Anyone who is interested, just email me at stushellyreeve@gmail.com and I'll email you the file. I'm all about sharing. Also, feel free to give me any constructive feedback. This was my first digital card template. I'm used to the more manual crafting methods like cutting, pasting, stitching, stamping or chalking when I make my cards or scrapbook pages. I haven't forged into the world of digital scrapbooking too much.

What a morning...and the day isn't over yet!

2008-12-12T11:04:00.007-05:00

Oh my - what a morning I've had! Where should I start? I usually wake up around 5:30am, mostly so I can wake my husband up so he can get ready and be out the door by 6:20am. He rarely ever hears the alarm. Then I usually grab a quick shower so I can be ready when Ty and Em wake up.

Well, let's just say that's not how it started today. Our alarm clock this morning was Tyler's little cries coming from the next room. I looked at the clock, said a few choice words, kicked Stu out of bed and went over to Tyler's room. He was kneeling with his face pressed against the rails looking up at me with sad eyes, as if in baby jail.

I got Tyler changed and dressed in less than a minute and was off to wake up Emily. She of course picked this morning to take her good old time and didn't want to get out of bed. I hurried her along, asking her to brush her teeth, start getting dressed, etc. so I could grab a quick shower. Slow as molasses, she did manage to get her favorite tights on by the time I was finished...but that was it. The tights are another story. She wants to wear skirts and her crazy stripey, flowery, or polka dot tights every day, regardless of the freezing weather. I don't know where this little 4 year-old of mine developed such a strong opinion about what she wears over the past year. She says, "But mommy, it's fashion." Oh my - what am I in for?

Anyway, so Emily was distraught because she couldn't find a skirt so I had to stop throwing the lunches together and run downstairs to get a skirt out of the dryer for her. I threw the skirt on her bed and asked her to finish getting dressed so I could do her hair and tie her shoes after packing the lunches. In the meantime, I went to check on Tyler and saw a brown wet patch on the back of his shirt that had obviously seeped up from his diaper. He was now looking at me with a smile on his face. What else could slow down the process of getting out of the front door?

Emily put on her coat while I was changing Tyler for the second time and was heading to the car when I was packing up to leave. We got Tyler settled at daycare and Emily took off her coat in his classroom. I looked over at her and stopped in my tracks. She wasn't wearing a skirt! She was wearing her shirt and her favorite tights, of course, but had forgotten to put on the skirt. The whole time I saw her before we left she had her pink winter coat on so I didn't notice! Luckily no one saw but me, so I told her to quickly put on her coat. We found a spare set of clothing in her classroom that I had put there "just in case" ages ago, but she didn't want anything to do with the spare jeans. She kept insisting that they weren't her jeans. I showed her the bag with "Emily R." written on it and said, "See? This is your name. Your clothing, Em." She proceeded, "That doesn't spell my name. I am E-M-I-L-Y; not R too." Oh, she was testing my patience. Then she had a fit, saying that they were "Baby Jeans" because they were a little short and had an elastic waist - not the cool sparkly button jeans she has now. And plus, she wanted her skirt, not jeans!! After much discussion, and a little bribery, I managed to calm her down. By the time I left daycare she was smiling again and said, "Wait until we tell Daddy you forgot my skirt." Always my fault! I guess I better get used to it. Well, that was my morning and what a morning it was! Hopefully the rest of my day will go better.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-12-10T20:56:00.024-05:00

Emily showing some concern when Tyler kept trying to eat the leaves

See more expressions over at Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Best Shot Monday

2008-12-08T23:17:00.008-05:00

Tyler was a few days shy of 9 months in this picture and he just loved looking at himself in the mirror. He would push his face up against the mirror like he was trying to see the person who was inside. He would also sit on the very edge and play peek-a-boo with himself and give a little laugh. It was so adorable to watch.

For more Best Shot Monday pics, head over to Mother May I

Theme Thursday: Togetherness

2008-12-04T11:16:00.011-05:00

As soon as I saw the theme of "togetherness" this week, I thought of this picture. Before Tyler was born last December, Emily was the only child and was by herself in almost all of the pictures that I took of her. I am really enjoying seeing the interaction between the two of them and being able to capture that. I still make sure to take plenty of pictures of him solo as well so he doesn't develop the "2nd child syndrome" and complain later on that I never took any pictures of "just him." Haha

In this picture, Emily was showing Tyler how to decorate the tree. They had such a fun time together. Emily was busy putting all of the little hooks on her Spongebob, Carebear and Dora ornament sets and taking Tyler's hand so he could help her put them on the tree. She did get a little frustrated though when Tyler kept taking off all of the ornaments they had just hung and would put them in his mouth. She would say, "No, Tyler. You don't eat ornaments." I was busy snapping away, hoping to salvage a couple shots for the annual Christmas card.

Go visit The Land of K. A. for more togetherness shots.

Wordless Wednesday: Expression

2008-12-03T16:11:00.016-05:00

I think by her expression, Emily was sick of me always taking pictures of her....even at only 1 month old! Haha!

See more expressions over at Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Wordless Wednesday: Reflection

2008-11-26T16:41:00.005-05:00

Emily at 6 months old...

Best Shot Monday

2008-11-24T15:58:00.010-05:00

I was gathering photos from when Tyler was born up until now to make a digital photo book when I came across this picture. I took this when he was a week and a half old and I can remember like it was yesterday the way he would curl up and snuggle in my arms. He would lay there for long periods of time like that until it was time to eat. Now he is 11 months old and is as squirmy as ever! I try to hold and snuggle with him, but he either tries to climb on me or arches his back way back to pretend he's falling. This makes him "belly laugh" and it is the funniest thing to see.

I can't believe after looking at him in this picture that he is going to be a year next month already. Where has the time gone? He is just growing up so quickly. For the past couple of weeks, he started standing on his own for about 5-10 seconds at a time and then would drop down to a sitting position. Then tonight after his bath, we were playing on the floor and he took his first steps towards me!! Emily was in the room and started screaming at the top of her lungs, "Daddy look! Tyler walked to Mommy!" She was ecstatic to say the least. After giving him much praise, we stood him up and he took like 2 or 3 steps on his own again a few more times. I tried to get my camera to capture him standing, but as if he knew, he refused after that point to even stand on his own and just started rubbing his eyes and played the "tired card." Any other time I would have been happy that he wanted to go to bed so I could get a little down time to myself, but I was trying to capture a picture here, darn it! Oh well, maybe next time...

Yummy, But Messy!

2008-11-09T23:15:00.011-05:00

A fellow blogger, Momology mentioned a photo contest that 5 Minutes for Mom had posted. The theme is "Fun with Food."

Her photo was adorable and made me think about my own daughter, Emily during her 1st Birthday party. She had her first experience with something that sweet and absolutely loved the Elmo cake I had baked for her. She couldn't get enough - just kept stuffing it in!

She paused for a few seconds (which I caught in the photo below.) You can see by her cake-stuffed cheeks that she'd had enough, but yet it seems by her expression that she is comtemplating about going back for more! What was I thinking - red AND black icing! Even after scrubbing vigorously, her poor little face was stained a reddish hue for a couple of days. This was such a memorable photo of that day for me so I thought I'd share it and enter it in the contest for kicks. Wish me luck!

Best Shot Monday

2008-11-03T23:14:00.021-05:00

I took the opportunity to post these Halloween pics since I just started the blog yesterday and didn't get to share them. Emily had been set on being Sleeping Beauty for months - it's all she talked about. It turned out that there were a total of 4 sleeping beauty costumes in her class alone (the age of Disney Princess envy)! Much to my relief, she didn't seem to mind, saying "We all match!" It will be many years until prom when she realizes what a nightmare it is for two girls to wear the same dress!

Welcome - At Last!

2008-11-02T21:55:00.003-05:00

I must admit - I've been trying to start this blog for ages now and I just never got around to it. I could take the easy way out and just point the finger at my two wonderful kids (Emily, 4 years and Tyler, 10 months) for consuming all of my time. However, that is only partially true so I'll step up and take the blame for the rest.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I talk incessantly - usually never at a loss for words. But for some reason I kept putting off starting this blog, mainly because I wasn't sure how I was going to put down in words what I am thinking,feeling on a regular basis. Then I started reading other blogs and realized that everyone is just as busy as I am and that it's okay if I don't get to post something all the time. With that pressure removed, I decided to start this blog.

In this blog, I hope to talk about some of the joys and idiosyncrasies that occur so you can gain a little glimpse of my life and learn about those people who make it special. I would also like to share stories about my children as they grow up so I will always have a place to look back and reflect. Lastly, photography is a great passion of mine so I will be sure to post tons of photos. I hope you enjoy!